2007-02-05

Out-of-the-Box Games

A market of casual gaming does not seem to be full of new and creative ideas these days.

Flooded with MCF-type games, simulators and especially matching puzzles, it offers little variety to more and more demanding gamers. Still, a breath of fresh air was introduced to a depressed matching-puzzles environment with a launch of a few stunning games.

At this point we can't neglect these puzzles framed into a fresh concept.

Tangle Bee

With TangleBee, Smart Melon Games, a developer of the game, introduces a tad more variety into the world of puzzles. The main point of this brand new ‘bee' puzzle is to untangle bees stuck in the spider web and to help recover bees' lost queens. To free bees, you have to untangle the lines of the web so that they do not cross.

Tangle Bee gameplay is very consecutive: at first level your task is limited to simply freeing the bees, on the second level a spider-threat impends upon you, at third level you discover that bees have their own personalities, on the fourth level a first queen bee appears etc. On your quest to bring peace back to TangleWood Forest, you'll go through 400 original levels, see 11 beautiful landscapes and observe the changing of seasons. Tangle Bee game features 5 exciting game modes and multiple trophies.

Magic Match: The Genie's Journey

The first version of Magic Match made a big stir in the world of matching puzzles. In no time its sequel has become even a bigger hit, as a handful of new features were added to the game.

As well as in the previous version, you'll solve multiple puzzles by matching items on a board until the time meter runs out. Here the similarity ends and upgrades come. The action takes place in the Middle East, matching is performed under mysterious oriental tunes, the story has changed correspondingly. Graphics have improved: diamond-shaped grids are more colorful, a map shows you a perspective of all destinations you are to visit. Bonus level tasks are new and more challenging. Additional power-ups (such as a bomb and a ring) are introduced to a game. There is also an indicator of your progress (a peacock's tail and a sort of Trophy room). Even squeaky-voiced imp called Giggles wears an Arabian turban. In other words, this quest to Arabian Nights is more vivid than the previous game, more fairy-tale-like... It a real intellectual challenge to all fans of matching puzzles.

Fruit Fall Deluxe

SoGoPlay, developer of the game, brought to us another brainteaser of ‘easy to learn, difficult to master type'. The game offers you to travel to multiple paradise-like islands cracking puzzles on your way. Puzzles are really sweet: you are to match strawberries, oranges, bananas etc on a grid.

Grid has a shape of pipes, dice, lettered blocks and other theme related items. The point of the game is to rotate backgrounds using arrow keys in order to make fruit (operating according to the laws of gravity) come into contact. Once 3 or more pieces of the same fruit are manipulated into adjacent position, they disappear from the playing field scoring points. Big combos can be created by manipulating stacks of fruit. As you proceed through levels, the space gets insufficient for maneuvering, or fruit can get stuck in creeks and splits. On some levels fruit are cleared in such a way that some pieces are left behind becoming fixtures that lead to an instant loss. Time pressure makes this colorful fruit matching a risky challenge.

Reef Raff

Reef Raff is a matching puzzle developed by Jump Games Pvt.Ltd. Deep under the water, King Poseidon's magic treasures are hidden. The point of the Reef Raff is to uncover treasure buried on the seabed by matching underwater creatures through multiple unique levels.

Match underwater inhabitants on the playing field and make them disappear. Swap creatures that can't be matched to 'suitable' ones by dipping them into a magic cauldron. Diamond tiles and Finny the Shark are bonuses that can be used for more successful match. Game features three difficulty modes, each one having more species and colors of creatures than the previous one.

If you know of any more original games that deserve to become famous and popular or you make creative games yourself, contact us and let everybody know about the games.